What a Jazz podcast

This week we’re chatting with blues dancer, educator, and event organizer Vicci Moore. Vicci shares insights into the post-COVID blues community landscape and her personal journey of discovering and teaching blues dance. We delve into Vicci’s essay on cultural appropriation covering a range of topics from African-American dance aesthetics to the nuanced role of sexuality and its expression in danc...

This week we sit down with dancer, educator, bandleader Naomi Uyama to talk about embracing change, redefining one’s identity, working on your strengths and weaknesses, and the journey toward self-acceptance. We also discuss how the US swing dance scene is on a slower recovery post-pandemic, approaches and mindsets when competing, and why you should not look at the score sheets after a competition...

This week’s guest is a great dancer, drummer, MC, and now the organizer of Lindy Focus - Jon Tigert. Jon talks about wearing many hats - balancing between teaching, organizing, and playing music. We cover topics of teaching locally versus internationally, dealing with the feelings of loneliness and social anxiety, being a better partner, and differences between events in the US and Europe. Jon als...

Dancers, teachers, choreographers, and all-around artistic human beings from Barcelona, María & Aurélien. We chat about their partnership, navigating through differences, and finding balance in everyday life. We cover topics of competitions, putting dance on the stage, and choreographing shows. Finally, we try to tackle the not-so-easy “what is art” question. This Podcast series is part of t...

After taking classes at the Swim Out festival, we sit down with a dancer and educator from Barcelona Clàudia Fonte. We talk about the joy of being a student, personal expression, finding versus connecting to yourself in dance and in life. Claudia shares her way of artistic explorations and practices, her feelings about competitions, and her love for improvisation. She also talks about embracing he...

Dancers, teachers, competitors, one the founders of El Taller, a dance school in Barcelona, and organizers of  Lindy Hopper’s Delight and Stomp Your Feet festivals. We sit down to chat about organizing events in a more sustainable way, inspirations from the tap community, and developing ways of teaching. They share their experience in competing, building partnerships, and the joys and challenges o...

This week's guest is musician, bandleader, MC, and dancer from London, Steven Coombe. We discuss the interactions between dancers and musicians, common misconceptions, the topic of musicality and competitions, and how to create the best party vibe. Steve shares his experience leading swing bands, daily practicing, and being an entertainer on stage. This Podcast series is part of the ⁠Swinging...

In this conversation Alexia, dancer, teacher, and the founder of Shake That Swing dance studio in Paris, shares her experiences, values and new approaches to leading a dance school and an all-women team. We discuss the evolution of the follower's role in the dance, connecting to playfulness and expressing yourself in a partnership. Alexia talks about combining family life and a dance career, f...

Austėja is a professional dancer, performer, teacher and event manager. We sit down to talk about performing, finding the flow, feeling confident in the spotlight and how can one get better at it. She shares her story of starting burlesque and being one of the first performers in Lithuania. We also touch upon the topic of sensuality and finding that connection through dance. Finally, we talk about...

We sit down with a dancer, musician, and band leader from Toulouse, France, Maka. We talk about the relationship between music and dance, the recreation and evolution of the art form, and expressing ourselves within it. We discuss what it means to connect to the music at a dance party, or in competition, and how we can value and appreciate musicians more. This Podcast series is part of the ⁠Swingi...

We sit down to talk with Sonia, a dancer and organizer from Barcelona. We chat about her early days of dancing, performing with Frankie Manning and working on a long-lasting partnership. Sonia shares her approach to teaching and competing, the (un)importance of levels in the dance, and placing your worth on the opinion of others. This Podcast series is part of the ⁠Swinging Europe⁠ project, which...

Dancer, scene leader, and organizer from a vibrant swing scene in Seoul, South Korea. We discuss building a community, running festivals, and choosing what talent to bring. We dive into the topic of judging, giving, and receiving feedback, and we both share bits of advice that influenced our approach to competing. We also talk about finding balance and why Nalla keeps the dance career a secret fro...

Dancer and actor, Jean-Charles Zambo joins us to discuss his artistic path, creating performances that are true to you, and prioritizing your own values and interests. We compare Swing dance and Hip-Hop communities, the role of expression, innovation, and inclusion. We tackle the questions of building self-confidence and teaching others to move in their own ways rather than following trends.  This...

Today's guest is Pamela Gaizutyte: dancer, choreographer, educator, and the face behind the creative project of P.mela Swingin’ Shoes. We discuss her projects, confidence and identity, forming partnerships, and finding the balance with social media. We reflect on the evolution of the dance scene over the years and the reasons behind the popularity of Swing dance in Lithuania.  This Podcast ser...

From Taiwan, we sit down to talk with Jason: a dancer, educator, and the creator of Switch Taipei. We talk about his studies in Dance Anthropology, his approach to teaching dance while empowering students from the beginning, and the freedom to choose the dance role outside of gender stereotypes. He also shares his experience with the representation of LGBTQ+ in the dance community and his dating s...

Tap dancer, performer, choreographer, and teacher Thomas Marek joins the podcast to discuss his artistic path and the discovery of new forms of expression and storytelling that tie in with tap's origins. We talk about the fundamentals and joy of improvising, how not to let your mind hold you back, and to make your dancing "your own".  Thomas explains his approach to coaching, the tra...

This week's guest is the saxophonist and leader of the swing band "Swing Shouters" - Sylvain Roudier. We chat about his creative process, his way of developing a unique sound, and the symbiotic relationship between dancers and musicians. We also discuss what makes a band (or a dancer) swing and how to work on that. This Podcast series is part of the ⁠Swinging Europe⁠ project, which i...

A special episode from the International Lindy Hop Championships Europe 2022 where the artists and judges sat down to discuss their thoughts and vision on competitions: "Competition & Culture: How do they relate?". You will hear Marie N’Diaye, Moncell Durden, Remy Kouakou Kouame, Tena Morales-Armstrong, LaTasha Barnes, Moe Sakan, Alice Mei, Felix Berghäll, Vincenzo Fesi, and a Specia...

We sit with dancer, teacher, and performer from the UK, Cat Foley, to talk about her life and work after covid and how her theatre and clowning practice influenced her dancing and teaching. We discuss her new show, “Swing sister swing,” which uses partnered swing dance as a storytelling tool to address social exclusion and what inspired it. We also talk about finding your voice and individuality i...

In this episode with an instructor, dancer, choreographer, educator, and Frankie Manning Ambassador Tyedric Hill, we talk about his approach to teaching dance, empowering others with tools to create and connect to the roots of the dance. We also dive into the topic of expression, how and when we access the raw emotions and let them come through the movement.  This Podcast series is part of the ⁠Sw...

We reconnect with Vassia from Athens, Greece. She is the organiser of Athens Rhythm Hop festival and a co-founder of Rhythm Hoppers dance school. We talk about the goals and challenges of running a dance festival, learning from the original dancers, the difference between drawing inspiration and copying, and finding your language of expression.  This Podcast series is part of the ⁠Swinging Europe⁠...

We sit down to chat with Ari & Simon: teachers, performers, and choreographers currently based in Madrid. We talk about the persistence to keep going during the lockdowns, finding new ways of approaching the dance and the teaching process, we discuss practice routines, daily habits and the key pillars for a good partnership (spoiler alert: communication is crucial).  This Podcast series is par...

In this episode with Daniel Larsson, dancer, choreographer, performer, and teacher from Sweden, we talk about his dance journey, his experience of working on a theatre stage, about the joy of dancing and love for rhythm, the uncertain life of a dancer and the importance of showing support and appreciation to other artists. This Podcast series is part of the ⁠Swinging Europe⁠ project, which is co-f...

Welcome to season 2 of the podcast! While things are looking brighter, it is still a very uncertain time for the dance community. In this episode with Alice Mei we talk about the ups and downs of the last year, how to keep the motivation going and push forward, how to deal with being too self-critical and how to know and trust who you are when your identity as a dancer gets stripped away. This Pod...

Dancer, performer, educator Felipe Braga. Originally from Brazil, Felipe is currently living in Berlin. We talk about what it means to be a guest in a culture, what responsibility do we carry as dance teachers, event organizers, and community leaders. Felipe shares his way of teaching and learning, the effort to feel more comfortable in your own body, and how his values in the dance changed over t...